Rhine Falls
The Largest Plain Waterfall In Europe, About 150 M Wide And 23 M High, With An Average Of 600 Cubic Metres Of Water A Second In Summer. Viewing Platforms At Laufen Castle And Neuhausen, And Small Boats To The Central Rock. Formed During The Last Ice Age About 14,000 To 17,000 Years Ago. · Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Schaffhausen
The Rhine Falls at Neuhausen am Rheinfall, beside Schaffhausen, are the largest plain waterfall in Europe. The river drops about 23 m across a width of about 150 m, and in summer an average of roughly 600 cubic metres of water a second goes over, far more in a flood. It is a short train ride from Zurich, about 45 minutes, so most people come for half a day. You can watch for FREE from the platforms on the Neuhausen side, pay a small fee for the terrace at Schloss Laufen, a 12th-century castle on the Zurich bank, and take a small boat out to the Rhine Falls Rock in the middle, where steps lead up into the spray. The honest picture is a loud, wet and impressive spot that is also small. You will see it all in an hour or two, the area around the car park is full of tourist shops, and summer weekends are crowded. Come in late spring or early summer for the biggest flow, on a weekday if you can, and bring a rain jacket because the spray carries well onto the platforms and the lower path, and soaks anyone who stands close.
Waterfall on the Rhine near Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, reached by Laufen castle viewing terraces, boat trips to the central rock and the platforms at Neuhausen, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
The falls are open all year and the river never stops. The platforms on the Neuhausen side and the park paths are open day and night and are FREE. Schloss Laufen terrace and the lower path run daily with shorter hours in winter, and boat trips run mostly from spring to autumn, weather and water level permitting. In winter some paths can be ICY and boats may be CLOSED. Confirm hours locally.